Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-03-10
SUGGESTIVE ASSOCIATION.

SUGGESTIVE ASSOCIATION.
Our esteemed contemporary, the San
Francisco Chronicle, is nothing if not en-
terprising. We entertain an uRdisguised
admiration for enterprises in general, and
for journalistic enterprise in particular.
Our esteemed contemporary, the Chronicle,
is also sensational as well as enterprising.
1t is perhaps never so well satisfied with
itself as when its columns are reeking with
gore, and its horrifying head lines find
ample justification in the narrowing de-
tails set forth in the text matter. 1t is in
pursuit of subscribers and sensational news,
and in this laudable double pursuit it adj
yertises the weekly Chronicle and first
class trustworthy revolver for a single
price. In this way il not only obtains q
subscriber for its paper, but furnishes the
subscriber with the means of producing
sensational news. 1t claims circulation
of anywhere from 25 to $4,000. Now,
if each of these subscribers is armed with
a 3S-caliber-nickel-p lated-weeklv-C Chronicle
revolver, it will not be the fault of the
Chronicle if they do not each, in the course
of a year, shoot neighbor, and thus make
from % to $4,000 excellent items for
publication. There is peculiar fitness Of
things in this premium offer of the Chroa-
icle. 1t reminds us strongly of the ex-
press agent who, upon delivering an uncut
tombstone at way station, rolled barrel
of whisky to the door of the express car,
aud said to the local agent, "Here is
barrel of whisky without any address on
it. think it goes with that tombstone
In its advertisement the Chronicle says
Every farmer, miner and merchant
should have one of the Chronicles Amer
lean double-action pistols Since there is
q State statute which makes it a misde-
meanor to carry pistols the Chronicles
statement that every farmer, miner and
merchant ought to have one of its nickel
plated shooting-irons is as cool as it is
unique. We can readily understand the
relation between the production of sensa-
tional news and the universal possession of
revolvers. We can readily see, even with
our limited experience of journalism, how
much the POSSESSION of a nickel-plated re-
volyer on the part of every farmer miner
or merchant will increase the crop Of
shooting incidents, assassinations and other
playful amusements to which the farmer,
miner and merchant is invited by this adj
vertisement. We read with undisguised
admiration for the genius which not only
takes particular care to collect all the
news, but also to produce it, the statement
of the Chronicles adj: ave will send this
beautiful weapon and prepay the express
charges" There is something extremely
persuasive in this statement, and hereafter
let no man say that the means Of violating
the State statute against carrying re-
volvers, or of committing assassination, or
of shooting ones neighbor in brawl, is
not within the reach Of the poorest con-
dition. The price at which the Weekly
Chronicle and this 3s-caliber killer are
jointly offered proves that either the
shooter or the paper is not worth to exceed
two bits dozen, while the perfect fitness
of the association, the harmonious blend
ing of spirit between the premium and
the character of the paper offered, win not
escape the attention of any careful student
of the CRronicle.
The Csroaiclfs action in fertilizing the
news field that incidents worthy of record
in its columns may be produced, once being
understood, the value of a double action
pistol comes into view. We have neither
genius, experience, nor preparatory educa-
ton in gunnery, and have therefore been
at a loss, somewhat, to understand the mean
ing Of double action pistol, or as the Czroa-
iele styles it, 9one-of the Chronicles Amer
icon double action pistols" bat when the
object of the distribution of these weapons
is kept plainly in mind, the value of a
double action pistol becomes speedily appar-
ent The duplication evidently refers
either to the kick of the weapon, or to the
fact that it shoots both ways at one time,
and that therefore an accident may be re-
corded with each case of assassination, or
perhaps murder and suicide How con
venient to drunken husband who pro-
poses to shoot his wife, to take one of the
Chrossiclss American" double action pis-
tols, murder the old woman, and, by the
double action of the weapon Kill himself,
and thus obliterate all trace Of his own
completely in the crime. There is another
view of the case in which this premium
transcends even genius, and enters the
realm of inspiration. Suppose these pis-
tolls had been in as general circulation as
the Weekly Chronicle before the murder of
little Mamie Kelly by Goldenson. What
a breadth of advertising advantage it
would have been to the Chronicle to have
had the little school girl killed with
pickel-plated trustworthy weapon Of the